Wildlife

Is that me in the mirror?

Researchers say they have observed that Adélie penguins appear to recognize themselves in their mirror reflections, a trait that could indicate some degree of self-awareness. The mirror test was developed in the 1970s and includes placing a mark on a test animal’s face or other parts of the body to see if it touches or investigates it when seen in a mirror.

Very few animals have “passed” this test aside from some primates, dolphins and Asian elephants. Indian researchers say Adélie penguins study their images in the mirror and make movements as if to see if it is themselves. But they did not pass other parts of the test, such as recognizing foreign objects placed on them or blocking the view of themselves.